As I was mentioning to some people the other day at the party, I've been thinking of getting another tattoo. This one I was thinking of putting on my left shoulder, upper arm. I've been playing with designs, and wouldn't mind some input. Here are the current designs (clicking on the image will give you a bigger shot):

I was thinking of maybe getting it after I get a new job to sort of reward myself. You know, in the unlikely event that I am ever actually employed again.

Comments:

Being in texas right now, 3 reminds me most of horns. However, I like 3 also for the less cluttered outside--adding the extra length gives more elegance to the design, even though the center is substantially the same.

Re:

i'm about as wise as a rabbita rabbit that gets beaten by snails

yeah, 2 is definitely better than 3, but 1 is my favorite

then again, on the other hand...i'm not a big fan of the big scary bugs altogetherpersonally, i prefer butterflies, but thats just meand i've always wanted a tiny black star on my foot but i'm too wussy for that much commitment (and pain!!)

Well, what I meant was the way that #3 has the long upper ... legs? but the way #'s 1 & 2 have a lower center of gravity. Like... if you go with Max's bug concept, the part I'm talking about would be the body of the bug.

I guess another way to put it would be take the elegant legs from #3 and stick 'em on #1, and there you have it.

I don't know what they're supposed to be, but I don't see scary bugs (except 2 and 3). All I can see when left to my own devices is various subtly obscene (not necessarily in a bad way - I would've used the more mild "explicit," only the subtlety makes it the opposite of explicit - English's multiple meanings can get you into trouble like that) shapes. or.. um. whatever the visual equivalent of an allusion/implication is.

Of course, now that everyone else has told me to see scary bugs/spiders/scarabs, I can see them too, but still not in design 1. Unpleasantly, I find that when I'm seeing them as bugs, design 1 is the worst, though when I saw them at first, it was the best.

Now I like 2 the best - 3 seems too precarious and un-unified.. it gives me a sense of identity crisis or something, where parts (the spindly supporting/bottom legs and the recklessly expanding upper legs) are just getting too far away from others, or from self (same with the long outward arms of 1). Despite the symmetry, it feels like it could lose its balance any minute, and I prefer the stability, confidence, and poise of 2.